Selfies 2.0

This super-simple device provides you with the ability to take a new generation of selfies that will make your friends green with envy.

When I was a kid, the concept of a digital camera was beyond our wildest dreams. I remember family occasions, such as Christmas, when -- after imbibing more than a few fortifying drinks -- the adults decided it was time to take a group photo.

These were the olden days of 35mm film, but many cameras had a delayed start feature; I guess it was some sort of clockwork mechanism. We would gather in a bunch and then spend an inordinate amount of time being arranged and rearranged under the direction of aunts and uncles until they had "the perfect shot."

At this point, my auntie Barbara would place the camera on the mantelpiece, set the timer running, and race over to join our happy throng. Then we'd all stand frozen in position with rictus smiles on our faces for what seemed like days with nothing happening. Eventually, one of the adults would break the silence to say, "I think it's broken," at which point our faces and bodies would relax into their traditional party grimaces and slouches, respectively, followed almost immediately by the flash of the camera. Since we were using 35mm film, we never knew if we had a good picture or not until several weeks after the party. Ah, the good old days.

Now that I come to think about it, something similar happened this Christmas. Did you know that the camera app on iPhones and iPads has an optional delay feature? I only just discovered this. I don't know if Apple just added it as part of the recent iOS upgrade, or if it's been under my nose all this time. Once again, I was at a family occasion. The iPhone was set up on the mantelpiece. We all struck a pose. The iPhone's operator set the timer running, turned and raced across the room to join us, tripped over the dog, and barreled drink-first into the throng. The resulting picture deserved to be featured on Facebook, but it was generally agreed that it should never see the light of day.

But I digress. The problem with using a timer is that you rarely get the picture you want. Can you imagine trying to use the timer to get a picture of yourself in the middle of a jump, for example? You might get a lot of exercise, and you might obtain some interesting images, but I doubt if you'd achieve the picture you were hoping to see.

But fear not, my braves, because a solution is at hand -- the Shutter Camera Remote Control, which is available from Urban Outfitters for only $20.

This tiny, two-button device is super simple to use in conjunction with a free app that you download on to your mobile device to activate the shutter on its camera. The result is the ability to take a new generation of selfies that will make your friends green with envy. I wish I'd known about this little rascal before Christmas, because it would have made a great stocking stuffer, but it will still make a great present, and I know loads of people who would like one.

The only thing I don't like about this little beauty is that I didn't think of it first.

to celebrate the selfie era in my company we have been developed a wrist band that has many capabilities and one of our premium features is to take selfies just moving your hand; no twisted fingers trying to shoot, no run to catch the delay timer nor losing remote controls. The best, we procure to develop a gesture recognition engine so selfie can be trigged by raising your hands, jumping, free fall and so on.

@Max... "anyone using one of these cannot fail to look like a drongo "

My sentiments exactly... I have very occasionally got someone to take a pic of me (at great risk to the camera involved) but only for specific purposes. Anyway, I now know what NOT to get you for your birthday.... :-)

> (let's say a plonker in the UK).

In Australia we'd say a galah (a bright pink parrot which hangs around in groups and makes silly noises) or a goose (ditto, except the pink...)

You forgot one of the most important features that was developed to address the 'I Think it's Broken' issue: the light (or, sometimes, beeper) that let you know the machine is working and, when it speeds-up, that activation is impending. A wonderful, simple-yet-effective UI requiring no 'splaining.

I actually incorporated that same interface on a commercial product (audio amp) for its warm-up-time: the microcontroller would flash the power LED slowly at first and then fast within the last 5s before connecting the outputs. When the device was in 'standby' rather than cold-off, I had the power LED do like the Mac G4: follow a slow ABS(SIN(Α*t)) 'breathing', much more aesthetic than jarring blinking. The blue of the LED(s) worked well with the beautiful orange heaters.

But what I'd love on a camera is motion-detection with a selectable frame-area trigger (I'll bet it exists though!): that would make wildlife-photography, birds and bugs (and lions, tigers and bears) much easier/safer, as well as lightning, security, etc. And what about Z? when something (me, coming down the trail?) moves into focus-range (entering the depth-of-field), fire.